Every legal way to watch NBA basketball for free
Every legal way to watch NBA basketball for free
Basketball fan, but don’t want to spend a ton just to see your favorite team play? You won’t always have to break out your savings just to catch a few games during the season. Read on, and we’ll show you how you can watch NBA basketball for free, all season long.
Watch NBA Basketball with a Free Trial of a Multi-Channel TV Streaming Service
Nationally televised basketball games may appear on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, NBA TV, and TNT. Your best choice for those channels is DIRECTV STREAM, which also carries most regional sports networks. You can watch for free with a 5-day FREE trial.
Here’s a look at the other multichannel providers with national games. If you need a regional sports network for your favorite team, DIRECTV and Fubo are your best choices, though Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV can help in a few cases.
| Feature | DIRECTV STREAM | Hulu Live TV | Sling TV | Fubo | YouTube TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | 5 Days | 3 Days | No | 7 Days | Yes |
| Base Price | $20.99 | $89.99 | $19.99 | $63.99 | $82.99 |
| Base Channels | 277 | 126 | 58 | 214 | 123 |
| Max Channels | 296 | 155 | 144 | 241 | 172 |
| Local Channels | Yes | Yes | In select markets | Yes | Yes |
| Sports Channels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Regional Sports Networks | 40 | 5 | 0 | 41 | 6 |
| DVR | Unlimited | Unlimited | 50 Hours (upgradable) | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| On-Demand Services | No | Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ | No | No | No |
| Free channels | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Watch Out-of-Market Games with a Free Trial of NBA League Pass
For basketball fans, NBA League Pass is a must-have. This streaming service allows you to watch your team whenever they’re not at home or on national TV. Follow just one team or the entire league! You can also catch up with condensed recaps of past games, see data overlays, and exclusive streams based on betting, strategy, and stats.
If you choose League Pass Premium, you’ll get commercial-free games (watch the in-arena entertainment instead of ads). You can also watch on up to three devices at once and watch your games offline. Give it a try free for 7 days!
Individual NBA Team Streamers with Free Trials
Many NBA teams offer a direct streaming option with a free trial. You do have to live near the team to watch the games with this method, however.
| NBA Team | Standalone Streamer | Price | Free? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Boston Celtics | None | ||
| Brooklyn Nets | Gotham Sports App | $24.99 | No |
| Charlotte Hornets | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Chicago Bulls | None | ||
| Cleveland Cavaliers | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Dallas Mavericks | MavsTV | $14.99 | No |
| Denver Nuggets | Altitude+ | $19.95 | No |
| Detroit Pistons | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Golden State Warriors | None | ||
| Houston Rockets | None | ||
| Indiana Pacers | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Los Angeles Clippers | FanDuel Sports Network or ClipperVision | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Spectrum SportsNet+ | $19.99 | No |
| Memphis Grizzlies | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Miami Heat | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Milwaukee Bucks | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Pelicans+ | $14.99 | No |
| New York Knicks | Gotham Sports App | $29.99 | No |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Orlando Magic | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Philadelphia 76ers | None | ||
| Phoenix Suns | Suns Live | $14.99 | No |
| Portland Trail Blazers | BlazerVision | $120/year | No |
| Sacramento Kings | None | ||
| San Antonio Spurs | FanDuel Sports Network | $19.99 | 7 days |
| Toronto Raptors | None | ||
| Utah Jazz | Jazz+ | $19.99 | No |
| Washington Wizards | Monumental+ | $19.99 | No |
NBA Teams with Free Games Over-The-Air
Some teams allow fans to watch for free with an antenna.
| NBA Team | Antenna Option |
|---|---|
| Chicago Bulls | Chicago Sports Network |
| Dallas Mavericks | KFAA and TEGNA stations |
| Denver Nuggets | Altitude Sports on 9News (only 20 games) |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Gray Media Stations |
| Phoenix Suns | Arizona’s Family Sports |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Rip City TV Network |
| Utah Jazz | KJZZ |
Need an antenna? Consider these excellent models:
Channel Master Flatenna Ultra-Thin Indoor TV Antenna
Up to 35 Mile Range
Winegard FlatWave Amped Digital HD Indoor Amplified TV Antenna
Up to 60 Mile Range
You can also pair the antenna with something like a HDHomerun box so you can watch games on any Wi-Fi enabled device in your home.
Channel Comparison Chart
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| Altitude | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Angels Broadcast TV | + $24 | + $54 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Angels.TV | + $44 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Arizona’s Family Sports | - | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Athletics.TV | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Blue Jackets Hockey Network | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Blue Note+ | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Braves.TV | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| BravesVision | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Brewers.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Cardinals.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Chicago Sports Network | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| CLEGuardians.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Dbacks.TV | - | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Detroit SportsNet | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| ESPN | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN2 | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Detroit | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Florida | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Great Lakes | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Indiana | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Midwest | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network North | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Oklahoma | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network SoCal | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Southeast | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Southwest | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Sun | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network West | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Giants.TV | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Hurricanes Hockey Network | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Mariners.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Marlins.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Marquee Sports Network | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| MASN | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| MASN+ | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| MASN2 | + $44 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Monumental Sports Network | + $44 | - | - | - | - | - | - | + $18 | |
| MSG | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| MSG Sportsnet | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Nationals.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| NBA TV | + $15 | + $11 | - | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Bay Area | + $44 | + $59 | + $60 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Boston | + $44 | + $59 | + $60 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports California | + $44 | + $59 | + $60 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Philadelphia | - | + $59 | + $60 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NBC Sports Philadelphia+ | - | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| NESN | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Padres.TV | - | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Phillies.TV | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Rangers Sports Network | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Rays.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Reds.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Rockies.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Root Sports Northwest | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Royals.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| SNLA+ | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Space City Home Network | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Spectrum SportsNet | + $44 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Spectrum SportsNet LA | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| SportsNet NY | + $44 | - | + $10 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| SportsNet Pittsburgh | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Tigers.TV | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| TNT | + $24 | - | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Twins.TV | - | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Utah 16 (KUPX) | + $39 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Wild+ | + $24 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| YES Network | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |